Mazzaglia: The war against Jews and Christians

Sunday

Jul 27, 2014 at 12:45 AM

By Frank MazzagliaLocal columnist

†Since 1948, when Israel was recognized as a nation, it could always count the United States as its most trusted friend. Yet, today, we seem indifferent to our best friend in the Middle East. We have even turned a blind eye to Christians who are being systematically brutalized by radical Islamists in the Middle East.Imagine what life would be like if 2,000 rockets were launched at us? Yet, after the Iranian-sponsored terrorist Hamas provoked Israel into finally defending itself, it has been the subject of some harsh international criticism. At last count, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed including women, children, and infants, as heavy Israeli bombardment continued along a broad front line that stretches across the length of the Gaza strip. The death rate prompted Secretary of State John Kerry to rush to Tel Aviv and attempt to broker a cease-fire.One can only wonder what took Mr. Kerry so long. Shouldn't he have been just as quick to intervene earlier when Hamas was pounding Israel with daily rocket barrages aimed at Israeli citizens? Eventually those rockets killed two Israeli citizens as well as a Thai guest worker. Since the Israeli response, another 32 Israeli soldiers have also been killed in the fighting against Hamas. Curiously, President Barack Obama and Mr. Kerry remained silent when Israel was under daily attack. Only when Israel defended itself have they counseled for restraint.Focus on Israelís struggle with Hamas, however, has drawn attention away from the destruction of some of Christendom's most holy places and widespread persecution against innocent Christian civilians by radical Islamists. The difference is that, unlike Israel, the Christians have no army to defend them.In ISIS, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, hundreds of thousands of Christians have been summarily slaughtered or exiled. In the city of Mosul, the letter "N" for Nazarene was painted on Christian homes. Beyond that, Muslim leaders gave Christians in those occupied portions of Syria and Iraq until this past Saturday to either renounce Christ and convert to Islam, or leave the area now occupied by ISIS, or be killed.In the Hamas-controlled areas of Palestine, attacks upon Christians have intensified to the point where churches have been completely abandoned and the Christian population has dwindled to a sliver of its former self.The Christian community in Lebanon once represented a majority of the population. Today, it has shrunk to 34 percent. This caused Pope Francis to declare, "We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians". However the Obama backed Arab Spring has turned into a bleak winter for Christians living in Muslim dominated Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, and Nigeria.Egypt's Al Akhbar News reported, " Christians are being beaten, their stores destroyed and their homes plundered. The attackers are declaring that any Christian who dares to leave his home will be killed." Meanwhile Egyptian Christians complain that the police only arrive after the damage has been completed.While the United States blithely negotiates with Iran, the Christian population there is fleeing as quickly as they can to Europe in such numbers that its presence in Germany has more than doubled since 2012.Christians have lived in the Middle East for centuries before Islam even came into being. Yet, the Obama decision to abruptly pull American troops out of Iraq while supporting Syrian radical Islamists and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt have caused calamity for Christians. Equally true, the support of terrorist opposition in Libya and our current friendly stance towards Iran has caused untold misery for Christians in those countries as well.The horrors to which Christians in the Middle East are now being subjected to by radical Islamists should serve as an example to the whole world as to why Israel must remain strong even with the lack of American leadership at a time and place where it is sorely needed.Frank Mazzaglia can be reached at Frankwrote@aol.com.